Just Like in Fairy Tales
by smiles1777
Summary: Tsuna/Haru, side pairing of Yamamoto/Gokudera. Their romance was just like in fairy tales. Er, make that Disney fairy tale songs. Close enough.


**Pairing:** 2786, side of 8059

**Rating:** PG

**Summary:** Their romance was just like in fairy tales. Er, make that Disney fairy tale songs. Close enough.

**Author's Notes:** This was written for khr_exchange09 at LJ for lambo_chu

* * *

**Just Like in Fairy Tales**

**Cinderella:** _A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes_

Haru had always thought herself to be a very intelligent young woman, more capable than most girls her age. She attended a very prestigious school, she received top marks in all her courses, and she had a killer eye for design and fashion. Truly she was an asset to society. Thus, the day she found out she was not, in fact, as bright as she had been made to believe (if her parents, friends, and neighbors were anything to go by), she was quite obviously shocked. And more than a little confused.

She considered her situation as she rested her chin on the hard surface of Tsuna-san's kotatsu, numbly watching the scene before her.

"Are you done with question five yet, Tsuna-kun?" Kyoko asked, a neutral smile adorning her face.

Tsuna blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Ah…not yet."

Kyoko giggled lightly and leaned over to Tsuna's worksheet. "It is a tough one, isn't it? What I usually do…"

Haru pursed her lips at Tsuna's reaction to Kyoko's proximity. His eyes widened, his pupils dilated, his blush intensified, and his expression took on that far-away dreaminess she was sure adorned her face whenever she daydreamed about him. Tsuna was in love. With Kyoko. Kyoko who wasn't Haru. Which meant Tsuna was not, in fact, in love with Haru.

She didn't know which depressed her more: discovering she was incredibly dense for not seeing it before, or that her future husband might not be her future husband after all.

Tsuna laughed at something Kyoko said, his eyes alight with happiness.

Haru frowned. Definitely the latter.

She toyed with the cream on top of her half-eaten cake, her appetite suddenly vanished. She considered what she should do, what she should feel. She loved Tsuna, she wanted him to be happy. Kyoko was her best friend; she also wanted her to be happy. She just didn't want them to be happy _together_. She groaned audibly, feeling guilty. She shouldn't be deciding the romantic fate of her friends.

"Haru? Are you okay?"

"Hahi?" She lifted her chin. Kyoko gazed at her with a slightly worried expression while Tsuna stared at her plate, a puzzled frown on his lips. She smiled and waved her hand in dismissal, her laugh a bit too high and forced. "No, nothing's wrong. I just remembered I had something to do at home." She stood quickly, wobbling a bit as she realized her leg was asleep.

"Haru," Tsuna started.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" She waved and quickly made her escape, unable to control her emotions much longer. She made her way down the hallway to the stairs, passing Yamamoto and Gokudera near the staircase, presumably in a semi-wrestling match as they walked up the stairs.

"Idiot, stop it! Someone will see –"

"Haha!"

"IDIOT!"

"Bye, Yamamoto-kun, Gokudera," Haru muttered more out of habit than anything else, her hand trailing down the banister.

"Bye, Haru!" Yamamoto grinned her way as Gokudera tugged down his shirt, wiping his mouth hurriedly with his other hand.

She vaguely heard them arguing as she reached the bottom steps.

"Ow! Gokudera, what was that for?"

"She _saw_ us."

She sighed as she slipped on one shoe. Maybe she should just give up on Tsuna. That would probably be the easiest option for everyone.

"Haru."

"Ah?" She swiveled around to look behind her. Bianchi stood there, arms folded, tapping a ladle against her side. She forced her smile back. "Hello, Bianchi-san. I'm just leaving now."

"Haru, I'm as skilled in love matters as I am with cooking." She placed a comforting arm around Haru's shoulders. "That was a heartbroken sigh. What's wrong?"

Haru slumped her head against Bianchi and pouted. "Tsuna-san and Haru aren't going to get married."

"Shall we get revenge?" Bianchi materialized a bubbling purple cake.

"Hahi?!" Haru jumped back at a sharp _hiss_ from the confection. "No, I don't want to hurt him!"

Bianchi frowned but placed the cake down. "Why not? When I broke up with Romeo, I found it very therapeutic to hurt him." She tilted her head. "I still do, actually."

Haru shook her head. "No, I still love Tsuna-san."

Bianchi narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying you're giving up on love?"

Haru sighed unhappily and nodded.

Bianchi picked up the poison cake, stepping closer to Haru. "I cannot forgive it."

"Hahi?"

"I CANNOT FORGIVE SOMEONE WHO GIVES UP ON LOVE."

"AH!" Haru ducked behind the banister as the cake went flying, dissolving the bottom step of the staircase. She closed her eyes and clung to the newel. "But what is Haru supposed to do, then? Tsuna-san's in love with Kyoko-chan!"

"Haru, what is your dream?"

"To become a mafia boss's wife," Haru sniffled automatically.

"Do you love Tsuna?"

"Tsuna-san is my prince charming." She pouted, glancing up at Bianchi.

The older woman patted Haru's head lightly. "Then don't give up on your dream. It'll come true."

"Really?"

"If you believe hard enough." Bianchi smiled. "Nothing can stop the power of love. Just look at Reborn and me."

Haru smiled. "Thank you, Bianchi-san!"

"Haru."

Both women glanced up to see Tsuna on the quarter space landing. "Are you okay, Haru? You didn't finish your cake." He blinked as he took in the state of his staircase. "HIIII, why is the stair gone?"

Haru stood up and grinned at him, this time a genuine smile. "Everything is just fine, Tsuna-san!"

"But the stair –"

She waved goodbye to him and opened the door to leave. "Haru will work hard to be a mafia boss's wife."

"Wha—? What does that have to do with—HARU YOU ONLY HAVE ONE SHOE ON!"

* * *

**Beauty and the Beast:**_ Something There_

Tsuna groaned again at the blank screen in front of him, the blinking black line taunting him. He could almost make out its rhythmic chanting of No-Good-Tsuna-No-Good-Tsuna. He shoved a hand through his large tuff of hair, haphazardly messing the already disheveled mass. He tapped his pencil against his laptop, scrunching up his lips as he continued to stare blankly at the screen.

A knock on the door jolted him from his lack of productivity. He stumbled over a pile of dirty laundry on his way to the door, wrenching it open to prevent his fall. As a result, his face ended up inches away from his visitor.

Haru blushed and smiled, placing a hand on her cheek. "Tsuna-san!"

Quickly, he righted himself. "Haru, what are you doing here?"

"Hahi? We're supposed to study together, remember?" She invited herself into his apartment, a small bachelor suite suited for a young university student like Tsuna.

Tsuna closed the door, used to his friends popping in and staying whenever they liked. "Right, sorry. I've just been really busy with my reports. I need to get a really good grade on this one or Reborn is going to kill me."

Haru smiled up at him and patted her book bag. "Tsuna-san works so hard." She glanced around the room. "HAHI?! When was the last time you cleaned this place?"

Tsuna frowned at the mess in the room. Instant ramen containers and piles of laundry were scattered about the space. Papers and drink bottles sporadically dotted the floor, sofa, and kitchen counter. He scratched the side of his face, embarrassed. "Ah…"

Haru grabbed his arms and pushed him towards the low table. "You get to work. I'll clean up."

"You don't have to, it's really not that bad."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "This is no way to live, Tsuna-san." She placed her bag carefully at the side of the couch and rolled up her sleeves, focused on her task.

Tsuna smiled at her enthusiasm as he returned to his laptop.

"And when was the last time you ate?"

"Hmm, last night?" he mumbled around the pencil in his mouth.

"….Are you joking?"

His lips quirked to the side as he imagined her scandalized expression, fingers still tapping away at his keyboard. "I just didn't think about it."

She lightly smacked the top of his head. "How do you expect to do your best when you don't eat properly?"

"I had a big supper last night." He tilted his head back to gaze at her and paused, fingers suddenly frozen above his keyboard. Perhaps it was the way she blocked the light behind her so that she appeared to be glowing, or maybe it was her new perfume that wafted over him—a light, clean scent—or maybe his eyes were blurry from staring at his computer screen for too long, but in that moment, she looked really quite beautiful. He found himself wondering if her eyes had always been that large or if her lips had always been quite that full.

"Tsuna-san?"

He started and realized somehow his hand had made its way to her cheek. He quickly pulled it back and righted himself, dizzy and confused. "Sorry, there was…I thought there was something on your cheek."

Haru placed a hand on her cheek which had begun to tint a pretty shade of pink. "Oh."

She smiled dreamily for a moment and Tsuna again found his thoughts and concentration drifting. She really was quite pretty. He didn't realize he was staring until she turned toward the kitchen.

"Well, you need to eat. How about curry?"

He cleared his throat and nodded at his computer. "S-sure."

She opened his fridge, rummaging through the contents. "Hmm…you don't have much…Maybe soup?"

Her legs weren't long, but they were shapely and smooth, suited perfectly for the frilly mini-skirt she had wore, a cute navy concoction that she no doubt made herself. The skirt accented the flare of her hips, tapering to cinch around her waist, a wide waistband drawing attention to the dramatic shift between hip and waist.

Tsuna realized he was staring. Again. With his mouth slightly open. He forced his eyes back onto his computer, the black line again taunting his broken concentration.

"Where's Gokudera? Doesn't he usually help you with your reports?" she asked from the kitchen, chopping the vegetables she found abandoned in his crisper.

He refused to look away from his screen. "Yamamoto had a game."

"I thought Gokudera didn't like baseball."

He smiled. "He doesn't."

"Then why…"

He settled his back against the sofa, typing softly and relaxing into a conversation with Haru. He smiled to himself, the domestic feeling of it comforting and somehow fitting. He glanced over at her as she added more vegetables into the pot and mused that maybe he didn't mind Haru's visits so much.

"What?" Haru asked, pausing under Tsuna's scrutiny.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." He turned back to his report. "I just thought I saw something that wasn't there before."

* * *

**The Little Mermaid:** _Kiss the Girl_

"Boss!"

Tsuna didn't glance up from his desk, but made a small motion with his hand, indicating to his subordinate to come in.

"Boss, I need you to approve the plans for the extension of the east wing."

Tsuna finished the sentence he was writing before setting down his pen and taking the proposal. They had built the essential rooms of the underground Vongola base, but he was anxious to complete the project, sensing a storm brewing in the mafia world. He nodded his approval and handed the papers back to his aide. "Looks good. Make sure you get me when they start work."

"Yes, boss." The man bowed and turned to leave.

Tsuna glanced at his watch and noted with surprise that it was already noon. "Oh, have you seen Haru around?"

"I think she's with Lambo-san in one of the training rooms."

Tsuna nodded. "Thank you. You may leave." He pushed back from his desk and stretched his arms over his head, yawning slightly. He had been up all night making calls to Italy and reading reports. He was tired, he needed a shower, and all he wanted to do was sleep for a few years. But if he tried to skip out on another meal, Haru would have his head.

He picked up his discarded tie, looping it back around his neck in a loose knot. He left the top buttons of his wrinkled dress shirt undone, and slipped back into his blazer. He ran a quick hand through his hair, still a disheveled mop like in his younger years.

He smiled silently to himself as he strolled to the training room he knew Haru would be in. She had finally convinced him to let her train in a weapon. Her weapon of choice had surprised him, but oddly fit her.

Quietly, he slipped into the training room, standing in the corner to watch as she lifted the bazooka to rest on her shoulder, aiming it expertly at the target.

"B-be careful with that – " Lambo muttered nervously.

Haru laughed and winked at him, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Relax, Lambo-chan. Haru's done this plenty of times before."

"But this one's way more powerful – "

Before he could finish his sentence, Haru pulled the trigger and watched happily as the missile struck and destroyed its target completely. "See? No problem! Lambo-chan?"

Lambo cowered in the corner, holding his head protectively in his hands. Tsuna smiled and made his way over to the young guardian. He placed a soothing hand on his shoulder. "It's time you learnt to just let Haru do what she wants and get out of her way. It'll make your life a lot easier."

Lambo sniffled and straightened. "Like I-pin?"

Tsuna chuckled. "Like I-pin."

"Why am I surrounded by crazy women? You know Bianchi-san still tries to kill me every so often." He grabbed onto Tsuna's shoulders. "Vongola, save me."

"Tsuna-san!" Haru waved excitedly at the tenth Vongola boss. "Did you see?"

Tsuna patted Lambo one last time before jogging over to Haru. "I did. You did well. But why don't we put that down now?" He gingerly took the bazooka from her arms and placed it safely beyond her reach.

She grinned up at him, eyes closed and mouth stretched, hands clasped behind her back.

His breath hitched. The urge to bend and place a kiss on her waiting lips was strong. It would be such an easy movement, a quick shifting of feet and their lips would –

"I'm off, Vongola!"

Tsuna jerked back and nodded quickly in Lambo's direction as the Thunder Guardian left, a silent sigh of relief escaping his lips. "Ah, see you later."

Haru frowned momentarily before she allowed her face to relax.

Tsuna smiled down toward her, placing an errant strand behind her ear even when he knew he shouldn't allow his hands quite so close to her face, her cheeks, her lips. It was becoming much more difficult for him to suppress the urge to touch her, caress her, kiss her. There wasn't a specific moment when he realized he had fallen for the girl, more like a gradual intensification of his feelings for her. An intensification that continued with every day, every moment, every time she smiled at him or laughed or blew her bangs out of her face or fell asleep against his shoulder.

Which was exactly the reason he promised himself never to become too involved with her. He belonged in the mafia world; she belonged to a world that didn't have daily fights and daring escapes. She belonged to a world of happiness and safety, and one day, she would have to go back there.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room and his thoughts. "Have you eaten lunch yet?"

He trailed after her, and shook his head. "Not yet. That's why I came to get you."

She glanced over her shoulder at him, eyes amused. "Good boy."

"Hey, hey, watch how you address the mafia boss."

She smirked at him before turning her face away, humming to herself. "We have to stop by the east wing meeting room. I left my cell phone there."

Tsuna quickened his steps so that he walked beside her, but did not let go of her hand. "What, expecting an important call?"

She tilted her head, still humming. "Maybe."

He frowned as they rounded the corner. "From who?" He was silent for a moment. "A boyfriend….?"

Haru paused in her humming, a thoughtful look transforming her face. "And what if Haru said yes?" She stopped and turned to look up into his amber eyes. "What would Tsuna-san do?"

His brow lowered, shadowing his features. He brought a hand up, his index finger barely touching her skin as it traced her cheekbone. "I'd wish you all the happiness in the world."

Haru sighed dramatically. "Tsuna-san knows nothing about being a prince." She continued down the hallway. "You're supposed to take Haru in your arms," she wrapped her arms around herself, hugging herself tightly, "and tell me no one will take me away from you."

He chuckled, placing his hands in his pockets. "Isn't a prince supposed to be noble? That doesn't sound very gentlemanly."

"Cowardice!" She pointed a finger at him.

He smiled when she started humming once again. As they neared the meeting room, he stilled, sensing something that he really hoped wasn't going on behind those closed doors. Just a few feet away, and his suspicion turned into full-fledged warning bells in his head. Sometimes he really hated his intuition.

"Ah, Haru, how about we get your cell phone later? I'm really hungry."

She frowned at him, sending a disapproving half-scowl his way as she placed her hand on the knob. "We're already here. Honestly, I was just joking about the boyfriend thing." She opened the door. "It'll only take – HAHI?!" She remained frozen in the doorway, her eyes wide with shock and mouth open completely.

Tsuna groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose, resigned to the inevitable shrieking that had already started.

"HAHI? WHY IS GOKUDERA ON TOP OF YAMAMOTO-KUN? AND WHERE IS YAMAMOTO-KUN'S SHIRT? HAHI?!"

"Shit! Let go, idiot!"

"Ah-hahaha, this is awkward."

Gokudera stumbled out of the room, displacing Haru from her place, still frozen in shock.

"Juudaime! Ah…" He promptly buttoned his pants.

Tsuna averted his gaze as Yamamoto appeared from behind the large oak doors, his shirt hastily pulled on and completely unbuttoned. "Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto."

"Hahi!"

"Hi, Tsuna, Haru!" Yamamoto scratched the back of his head. "Sorry about that."

"Ah, well, just…" Tsuna cleared his throat. "You have your own rooms, where you can…um…"

"Juudaime! I'm terribly sorry!" Gokudera bent at a perfect ninety-degree angle. "I tried to tell that idiot but – "

"Wha? Gokudera was the one who said he couldn't wait."

"Hahi?"

Tsuna took Haru's shoulders in hand and steered her away from the developing lover's quarrel.

Haru glanced over her shoulder at Tsuna, her mouth still wide open. "H-hahi?"

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at Haru's expression. He reached a hand up and pushed her jaw up, closing her mouth. "Yes, hahi."

By the time they reached the kitchen, Haru had recovered from her shock. Mostly. She sat at the table as Tsuna brewed a cup of tea for her.

"How long have they been together?" she asked curiously, wondering when exactly those two transitioned from friends to lovers.

"Not long." He set a cup in front of her. "A month or…seven years."

"Hahi?!" She sat straight up, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Seven _years_? How long have you known?"

He averted his eyes. "Oh…about seven years." He scratched his cheek sheepishly. "They're kind of obvious."

Haru's head landed on the table with a dull _thunk_. "Haru's really dense, isn't she?" They remained in silence, the only sound the ticking of the clock and the occasional sound of passing voices. Finally, Haru raised her head again. She poked Tsuna's arm with her finger to gain his attention, a cute pout on her lips. "Haru's dense so she's just going to ask you, okay?"

He furrowed his brow, but nodded. "Okay, what?"

"Is Tsuna-san still in love with Kyoko-chan?"

He choked on his own breath, taken aback by the blunt question. "What?"

She sighed. "Tsuna-san was in love with her during high school. And he doesn't have a girlfriend now. And no matter how hard I try, you never kiss me!" She narrowed her eyes in his direction. "I thought you were just shy. But maybe you're in love with someone else. Is that it?" She leaned forward, inspecting his reaction closely.

He blushed and struggled to find something to say.

"I'm not giving up," she continued, not allowing him to reply. "I'm going to be a mafia boss's wife." She slammed her hand on the table to emphasize her point, causing him to jump slightly in his chair. "You might as well give in now."

He stood abruptly. "No." Running a hand through his hair, he paced a few steps away. "No." He turned and pointed a finger decidedly at her. "No."

"Hahi?"

"I'm not going to drag you in so far that you can never get out. You don't understand the danger you'd be in if you were my lover." He slashed his hand through the air, symbolically eliminating her wishes. "You can be my friend, but you can never be my wife."

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" She stood and advanced toward him slowly, a dark gleam in her eyes. "You like me?"

He cleared his throat, fixing his gaze on the oven beside him.

"Love me, even?"

He remained silent.

She stepped closer. "And you're trying to protect me by just ignoring both of our feelings?"

He frowned as she neared, and backed away into the fridge. "It's actually very noble."

"Cowardly."

"Stoic."

"Defeatist."

"One day you'll have to leave me."

She made a disapproving sound in the back of her throat. She grabbed his tie, wrapping it around her hand before pulling him down harshly. She glanced up at him from under her eyelashes, an impish smile in her eyes. "Never going to happen."

He felt her breath against his lips before they were captured by hers, soft and tempting. She nibbled his bottom lip, flicking her tongue over it.

He pushed her back, holding her at a distance by her shoulders. "Promise me something."

She licked her lips, a stain of pink adorning her cheeks. "Anything."

"When the time comes, you'll leave without any arguments."

She frowned. "Tsuna-san, I already told you, it's never –"

"Promise me," he repeated. His fingers trembled on her shoulders.

She searched his face for a moment before nodding slowly. "I promise."

He smiled, a breath escaping him before he tugged her forward and crashed his lips to hers, bending her over slightly from the force of it.

They broke apart when a crash was heard behind them.

"THEY FINALLY DID IT TO THE EXTREME!" Ryohei yelled to no one in particular, his arms stretched over his head in a victory pose.

* * *

**Sleeping Beauty:** _Once Upon a Dream_

"Da-ah, la-ah, la-ah-ah-ah," Haru hummed to herself, pulling a needle through her latest design, a dress in a bright pink and blue melody. She glanced toward Tsuna, sitting opposite her on her couch. He was silent and deep in thought, his expression neutral and far-away. His smiles were rare these days, ever since Reborn died. She frowned, pausing in her work as a sadness that never seemed to go away settled over her again.

Many things had changed in the months following Reborn's death. Tsuna's joy and happiness disappeared, the guardians became even more secretive, and her training had stopped. But the most drastic change was that she never went to the Vongola bases anymore. She didn't know how it happened, but she had been phased out, until she was no longer permitted near their bases. Her only contact with them was Tsuna's occasional visits to her apartment, which were becoming less frequent as the days went by.

She jerked back when she pricked her index finger on her needle. "Ouch!"

Tsuna turned to her. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, I just hurt my finger." She held up her finger to show him, a drop of blood forming slowly from the wound.

He wrapped his hand around her wrist, pulling her finger closer, inspecting it with an intensity that surprised her. She caught her breath as he lowered his head, licking the blood away in a seemingly innocent manner, but that felt quite the opposite.

"Tsuna…"

He ran his hand further up her arm, cupping her elbow before trailing it higher, shifting his body to loom over hers. She widened her eyes, unused to this solemn, intense aura of his, wholly manly and quietly deadly. She suddenly realized this was how he must appear to strangers, seductive and striking, bold and unyielding.

"H-hahi?"

"Haru." He lowered his mouth to the juncture between her neck and shoulder, resting his dry lips against the soft skin. He ran another hand up her leg to rest on her thigh, tightening and loosening in no particular rhythm. "Let me be selfish today."

"Huh?"

"Just this once." His teeth scrapped her neck lightly. She could feel his breath, hot and moist.

Her hands shock as they reached for his shirt, wrinkling the material as she gripped him firmly. They were lovers, they had slept together countless times. But this time felt different, more important somehow. There was a finality in his voice that scared her, though she did not understand why.

She turned her neck to kiss the top of his head and nodded against it, afraid to let her voice out.

He seemed to understand, because he shifted more comfortably between her legs, slowly undoing her shirt buttons.

Neither of them spoke, both too afraid their voices would break their silent trice.

*

She awoke in her bed and realized he must have carried her there after they had both drifted off. His arm was heavy around her waist and she felt his chest hot against her back, sticky and uncomfortable but she refused to shift, to move, to do anything to disturb their world.

"Haru," he spoke against the back of her neck.

She squeezed her eyes shut and pretended to still be asleep.

"Haru, I know you're awake."

"I hate that hyper intuition of yours."

He let out a sound that barely passed as a chuckle. "You're not the only one."

She placed her hands on his, resting on her stomach.

"Haru, do you remember that promise you made me?"

"Mm? To make you curry today?" She yawned and snuggled against her pillow. "Tsuna-san wore me out, I'll make it later."

She expected a laugh or at least one of the chuckle-sighs he uttered these days. Instead, he tightened his hold on her. "The promise you made me when we got together."

She stiffened. "Hahi? Haru doesn't remember any promise."

"Yes, you do. You promised to leave without any arguments when the time came."

She yanked the covers over her head. "Haru is sleepy, leave her alone."

He sighed. "Haru – "

"Sleeping."

He shifted and let go of her waist, rolling over onto his back. She felt a sudden cold, but refused to move, until finally sleep claimed her once more.

*

It was morning when she drifted back to consciousness again. The light streamed through her windows and fell on her covers. She stretched and let out a little sigh.

"Tsuna, what time is it?"

Silence greeted her and she wondered if he was still sleeping. She turned over and discovered the bed was empty save for her. She frowned. "Tsuna?" she called a little louder.

Again, she was greeted only by silence and the still morning air.

She tossed the covers off and noticed an envelope on her night stand, "Haru" scribbled on it in Tsuna's writing. Carefully, she peeled back the flap and examined the contents.

Her brow lowered and eyes narrowed dangerously, a hand crushing the offending envelope. A train ticket, enough money to last her a few months, directions to a remote inn located in the Aomori prefecture, and a note with a single, haunting word.

_Goodbye_.

She grabbed her cell phone, hitting the buttons furiously. She fumed as she heard it ring. And ring. And ring. Until it went to voice mail.

Hanging up, she dialed again. He was in for a world of pain and it would not do in a voicemail. It rang twice before being sent to voicemail again. Her jaw dropped and she stared at her phone. "He sent me to voicemail."

She scowled and dialed again. "I'm sorry, the number you are trying to reach is not available –"

She yelled in frustration, tousling her hair with her free hand. After she had calmed down, she dialed a different number and calmly brought her phone to her ear.

"Hello?" the male voice answered.

"Yamamoto-kun, put him on the phone."

"Haha, g'morning Haru!"

"Put. Him on. The Phone." She enunciated slowly.

"Who, Tsuna?"

She hummed in affirmation.

"_Who's on the phone?"_

"_Haru-chan."_

"_Idiot! Juudaime doesn't want us talking to her."_

"_But she wants to talk to Tsuna."_

"_She's not a part of the Vongola family anymore."_

Haru smacked her hand against the wall to relieve her building anger. It didn't help, but it did disrupt Yamamoto and Gokudera's not-so-hushed conversation.

"Ah…he's in a meeting right now," Yamamoto lied.

"Yamamoto-kun…put Tsuna on the phone _right now_ or I'll tell Gokudera about your porn stash."

"He already knows –"

"Not that one. The _other_ one."

She smiled darkly at his audible gulp. "Just a minute, Haru-chan."

There was a rustle and scuffle of feet before she heard Tsuna's voice. "Haru, you shouldn't be contacting me. It's too dangerous."

There were lots of things she imagined she'd say and yell and curse when Tsuna came to the phone. She didn't imagine she'd break down in tears. Once she stopped heaving and Tsuna had calmed her down, she sniffled into the receiver. "Tsuna is cruel. So cruel." She hiccupped and rubbed her nose with the back of her hand.

"I know."

"I hate you."

"I know."

"We haven't broken up."

He sighed. "Don't make this difficult."

"I'm not," she pouted.

"You promised, Haru."

"I promised to leave when you asked. And I'll do that. I never said I'd break up with you."

He didn't say anything in return, so she continued. "Tsuna has to come get me when it's safe. Like in a fairy tale. And kiss me awake."

She could swear she heard his wistful smile over the phone. "You're not much of a princess."

"And you're a horrible prince, but we're stuck with each other."

"I really don't think –"

"You don't have a choice in the matter," she decided, raising her chin.

"Geez." He let out a long breath. "Alright."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise." He hesitated momentarily. "I love you, Haru."

She closed her eyes to prevent her tears from escaping and leaned back against her pillows. "Tell me when you come get me."

* * *

**Snow White:** _Some Day My Prince Will Come_

He died a few months later.

Gunned down. Mercilessly.

Gokudera had witnessed it, just feet away. He would never forgive himself.

Yamamoto had been there, too. His eyes still reflected his friend's last moments.

Ryohei had visited them at their inn. He told Kyoko in private, but had difficulty meeting her eyes. Sumo accident, he'd said, his stupid, silly lie played through until the end.

It was Lambo who told her. Took her hand, explained what happened slowly and softly. He had watched her reaction closely, anxious to provide any comfort he could offer her.

"Haru's really dense," she'd said, "so I don't have to believe you." She had smiled and patted his hand. "Tsuna will come for us yet."

And when the smoke cleared, she heard his voice, so young and anxious and _alive_. "Didn't I tell you," she paused and smiled, "Tsuna will definitely come to rescue us?"


End file.
